5 Habits of French Women Over 50 Who Look Ageless originally appeared on Parade.
Famous French women who are 50 and older could easily be considered the original beauty influencers. Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve,Vanessa Paradis,Caroline de Maigret, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Euzhan Placy—too many to name. Unfortunately, we don’t have years of social media tips from them, but we can glean their habits and approach to beauty from their interviews over the years.
Much of the French-beauty philosophy is to avoid complicated routines, embrace your natural features and practice and enjoy self-care. Here are some of the beauty habits that famous French women over 50 have shared:
5 Habits of French Women Over 50 Who Look Ageless
1. Use Tried-and-True Skincare Products
Vanessa Paradis, 52, uses the French staple Collosol Eau de Lait for her makeup removal, according to Elle. This milky concoction is a French drugstore staple with a lemony scent that is rumored to be a skincare habit that is passed down from mother to daughter.
Collosol Eau de Lait, $17
2. Get Regular Facials
Juliette Binoche, 61, prefers a minimalist skincare routine, and sees facialist Su-Man Hsu, who told the BBC that Binoche tried other facialists “and no-one [was] like me. And from then on we became best friends, we’re still in contact with each other and I became her facialist.”
Related: The One Thing Women Over 50 Don’t Realize About SPF, According to a Pro Makeup Artist
3. Use Minimal Makeup to Enhance Natural Beauty
The late Jane Birkin said she only used three makeup products as she got older. An eyebrow pencil, a MAC lip liner for both lips and cheeks instead of blush and Sisley’s fluid foundation to “take the blotches away.” she told Grazia.
Related: The 9 Best Foundations and Moisturizers for Mature Skin, According to Celebrity Makeup Artists
4. Prioritize the Sensual
Many French beauty icons speak about the way a product smells or feels when they use it, not just the results. Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu loves Santa Maria Novella skin tonic. “It just smells delicious. It’s from one of the oldest Italian pharmacies—it’s 800 years old. They have these really beautiful, natural products that were made by the monks at the monastery in those times. They still do original recipes to this day,” she told Marie Claire.
5. Embrace Natural Hair and Minimal Styling
Caroline de Maigret, 50, told Into the Gloss that she uses minimal hair products for styling and washes her hair using a hydrating drugstore shampoo and no conditioner. If she only needs to cleanse her fringe, she uses a dry shampoo by Rene Furterer.
Related: The 6 Best Hairstyles for Women Over 50, According to Celebrity Stylists
Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo, $38
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using more products or wearing more makeup, but you can still individualize and cultivate a French-beauty attitude that emphasizes confidence, sensuality and your heritage.
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Related: 5 French Beauty Habits Women Over 50 Should Try
5 Habits of French Women Over 50 Who Look Ageless first appeared on Parade on Jul 25, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
